


The Biggest Loser

by a_horan



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-29
Updated: 2013-08-30
Packaged: 2017-12-13 07:50:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_horan/pseuds/a_horan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is a contestant on Britain's Biggest Loser (the weight loss competition) and Niall is his coach and they kind of, sort of fall in love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

The silence was unsettling. The entire crowd full of hopefuls were on the edge of their seats. One final spot remained. One final spot for the opportunity of a lifetime. Harry had a death grip on Liam's arm, not that he was complaining, he wanted this just as bad as Harry did. The host was still on the stage, microphone in her hand, smile on her face. 

"Thank you to everyone who submitted a video but as much as we'd like to take in all of you, there is only room for 12. The final person thru to the house is…." she stopped, leaving everyone hanging on to her words. She turned her back to the audience and watched the screen behind her.

The crowd went still. 70% hoping that it would be their voice that came from the screen, hoping it would be their video that they sent in. The other 30% hoping that it's their loved one who is given this shot for a new, better life. A life that they deserve after all they've gone through.

"Um, hello," the video started. Harry stopped breathing. This was him. He made it. "…uh, my name is Harry Styles and i'm 22 years old. I wasn't always like this and i'd like to get some of my old life back," the video played on.

Liam turned to Harry, face already bunched up his usual Liam smile. He hauled Harry up to his feet, pulling him into a hug. The crowd, despite full of devastated people, began to cheer along with Liam. 

"Well, congratulations Harry! Please come down and join the others here!" the host announced.

Harry was still frozen. He never thought he'd make it onto the show. He didn't even tell anyone, besides Liam, that he was auditioning. No. He can't do this. He can't actually be a part of this.

Liam, sensing Harry's hesitance, grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the stage. He didn't follow Harry around with a camera and edit his video for 3 hours for nothing. Harry had no choice but to follow behind Liam. 

Once on stage, Liam wondered off to the side, letting Harry get his moment, "Welcome to the team, Harry," the host said and gave Harry a hug. He smiled and hugged back. 

Harry Styles is 22 and has a spot on Britain's new reality show "Britian's Biggest Loser".

xXx

Harry still doesn't know how he is going to explain this to his mum. He never thought he'd have to explain this to anyone. He still can't process it himself. A little, "oh, hey mum, I don't want to be fat anymore so i'm going to audition for a reality show and humiliate myself in front of the whole country, please talk me out of this" would have been a good start. 

He doesn't know why he thought going on a television show would help him lose weight. He could have gone to the gym with Liam, like he's been offered so many times. 

He's in his room packing his bags for the BL House, (he refuses to call it the "Big Loser" House because it actually just makes him feel worse about himself), when he hears his mom knocking on his bedroom door.

"Come in," he groans out, flopping onto his bed.

"Harry, what did I say about jumping on the bed like that. I don't need that mattress to squeak anymore than it already does," says Anne…and oh yeah, maybe that's why Harry wanted to audition for this show.

He wasn't always overweight. It happened over a period of time that started when his parents announced their divorce right before he started university. He knows he could have handled it better, being 18 at the time, but it still stung and food became his friend for the hurt and pressure of school.

Harry rolled off his bed and sat down properly, patting down a spot to his left, "mum, I need to tell you something".

Looking at her son quizzically, she sat down and waited. And waited, and waited until 5 minutes later she groaned out a, "Come on Harry, this is worse than the time you told me you were gay. Just tell me already!" She surveyed the room and noticed the state it was in, "and why is your room such a mess, there are clothes everywhere. Are you going on a date. Is this what this is all about. Oh Harry!" she exclaimed. 

Harry loved his mom, he really does, but he wishes she could just stop talking for once. 

"Mum, I'm leaving for a bit…I don't know how long i'll be gone for. I, uh, I kind of sent in a tape to Britain's Biggest Loser and well, I made it. I could be there for a week, maybe 5, I might even win?" he shrugged. 

Harry's never seen his mom sit so still. She is such a lively woman, he swears that she runs on batteries or something. 

"Mum, please say something, anything," Harry groaned out, not used to the stillness and quietness of his mom. 

Anne closed her eyes and shuttered a breath. "I just don't want you to leave me," she almost cried.

Harry can admit that his mom is his best friend, behind Liam of course. When his father left them, they really needed each other for support. They haven't really been apart, ever. Harry chose to go to the University in the city and decided to save money by living at home. This would be the first time in his 22 years that he would be living somewhere that isn't his house. He never thought of that. 

He stood up and started pacing his room, a bad habit he's had since he was a kid. "Look, I know this is new and I don't know how I'm going to deal without you being there but think of what this can do for me mom. Look at me! I can't even see my toes when I stand up straight. I haven't worn jeans in years! Do you know how hard it is for me to find jeans that fit right? I just can't look into a mirror without hating my body and myself. This isn't who I want to be anymore and I think this will be good for me," he nearly yelled out, finishing with tears in his eyes. 

"I'm just so tired mum. I see the way people look at me on the streets, like if I fall over I wouldn't be able to get up. I'm tired of missing out on life. I haven't been on a date since high school because I know no guy would say yes to me because of the way that I am. I've never been to a bar mom, never. You can still visit me at the BL House. I'm sure they'd allow that. Just please be happy for me," Harry finished off.

After a moment, Anne stood up, engulfed Harry into a hug and said, "I love you more than anything in this world and I'm so proud to call you my son. Harry, I want you to win this ok. I want you to push yourself. I'll be watching every week," Anne let go of Harry, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her sweater. "Let's finish packing, yeah". 

xXx

"Harry, are you sure these are the right directions. I think we've been driving in circles,", complained Liam from the drivers seat. 

Rolling his eyes at his best friend, Harry replied, "That's because we have been driving in circles, you keep missing the stop on the right" he laughed. 

Harry was going to miss Liam. He doesn't know how long he'll actually last on the show but for however long it is, he is going to be so lost without Liam. After the ordeal with his mom last week, he texted Liam asking to go out for pizza one last time before he had to go to the BL House. 

Liam noticed the turn, playfully smacking Harry's shoulder, as they pulled into the driveway of the BL House. The house was huge. Looked like it could definitely fit more than the 12 contestants. It had stairs leading up to the porch, which looked like it wrapped around the entire house. Harry couldn't believe he'd be living here.

"Are you sure I can't hide under your bed or in the closet? Look at that tree over there, I'll strap myself in there every night. Katniss made it look easy" Liam half-joked as he got out of his car.

Harry laughed along as he got out and stretched. The drive to the BL House was longer than he expected which made thinking about his mom and Liam not being able to come visit as often as he would like, even harder. 

"Li, I wish I could keep you around for moral support because we know I'm going to need you. What if they make me talk about uni? Living through that was hard enough, I don't want to expose that part of my life to the whole country. Jesus Liam, I am going to need you so much. Let's go find some rope, I'll climb that tree to strap you in every night if I have to," Harry all but cried out. 

Opening the boot of the car, Liam grabbed one of Harry's bags, leaving the biggest of the two for Harry. "Let's start the training early. Race you to the front door," Liam called out, already starting to run.

"You cheater! I demand a restart," Harry huffed as he struggled to close the boot. He managed to get a hold of the bag and started into a run. It lasted no more than 30 seconds but it was something. Harry ended up walking the rest of the way there, slightly jealous that Liam got there in about 1 minute when it's taken him at least 5. 

Sitting at the top of the stairs, Liam is waiting for him with a smile on his face, "Whoever said that slow and steady wins the race was full of shit, weren't they," he laughed.

"I only lost because you cheated. Challenge me in 4 months, I bet I could take you then," Harry replied, flipping his hair for comical effect as he walked up the last step to the porch. 

"There! That right there. That's the positive spirit we need on this show," a loud voice from behind Liam called out. 

Behind Liam stood a man no bigger than Liam himself. He moved his way towards Harry, "I'm Niall, it's so nice to meet you," he introduced himself as he stuck out his hand waiting for Harry to take it. Harry took this time to examine the man. He looked to be around Harry's age, no older than Liam at least. He wasn't particularly muscular but he was toned in all the right places. 

"Uh, hello. I'm Harry and this is my best mate, Liam," Harry pointed over to Liam. Niall turned to him, extending his hand out to him next.

Niall turned his attention back to Harry, "I know who you are, I remember watching your tape, I couldn't forget these curls if I tried," he said without missing a beat. 

Harry stood there awkwardly. He wasn't used to this attention. People never had nice things to say about him. The first thing they ever noticed about him was his weight, never his hair or his eyes or the dimples that would be found attractive on anyone else. 

"So boys, would you like a quick tour of the house? Not everyone is here yet so I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I took you around," Niall spoke so freely, Irish accent thick in his mouth. He took a second to glance at his watch then looked over at Liam and said, "actually we've got about 20 minutes left until we need to kick family and friends out so we could do a tour or you can say goodbye? I'll wait inside for you Harry. It was great to meet you Liam. I'm so glad we got that bit of you racing on film. I'll make sure it gets used for the first episode on air. Feel free to come down and visit as much as you'd like. Harry needs support and from what I saw 5 minutes ago, you're the best kind of support there is," Niall finished off, extending his hand to Liam once more before heading back into the house.

"Harry, seriously, strap me into the tree. I'm not leaving. I can't. Not only are you going to come out of this house hotter than me, but you're going to come out with a new best mate," Liam pouted dramatically. 

Pulling his best mate into a hug Harry whispered, "I hope all the hidden camera's around this place got that part on film because i'll need to watch that later when i'm having a shitty day. I love you Li".

Squeezing Harry tighter, he whispered, "I love you too. Even if you get kicked off next week for like using the house phone to order a pizza".

"You absolute wanker," Harry said as he pushed off Liam.

"I'm serious. I want to wrap my arm all the way around you the next time I see you, Styles. Make me proud," Liam said, pulling Harry in for one more hug and placing a quick kiss on his forehead. 

Harry watched as his best friend walked down the steps and back towards the driveway. He waited until Liam's car was well gone from his sight before he stepped into the house. He was met by Niall who was on his phone and sitting on the steps which Harry assumed lead upstairs to all the bedrooms. 

Niall looked up from his phone, stood up, wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder's and said, "Welcome to the Biggest Loser House, Harry".


	2. Chapter 2

Harry doesn't really know what he expected. He's watched a handful of Jersey Shore reruns but even all that chaos didn't prepare him for all the behind the scenes work that goes on in the BL House. There were cameramen and lighting equipment, hidden cameras in the corners, sound technician's lounging, random people, everywhere. There was really no escape in this house. He hasn't even been there for a full day yet and he is already overwhelmed.

Niall seemed to disappear as soon as he showed Harry up to his room, which was all the way on the 3rd floor of the house. Harry's hasn't walked up those many stairs in years. 

He's sat in his room, silently thanking whoever decided that each contestant would get a room to themselves. Given this down time, he starts to unpack. He's still unsure of how long he's actually going to last in this competition. Harry's tried everything to lose weight, pills, diets, working out and nothing has helped but there is pressure on him now. The entire country is watching him. He doesn't want to make a fool out of himself, he's been picked on far too much to just not try this time. He needs this. 

After putting his clothes away in the closet and dresser, he takes out a picture frame. He takes it where ever he goes, no matter how long the trip is. It's a picture of his first Christmas without his father. He is sandwiched between Anne and Liam. They all look happy and Harry knows just how blessed he is to have those 2 in his life. He decides then that they are the reason he is doing this. He doesn't want to have a short life because he couldn't handle his weight. He wants to make sure he is healthy so he can stick around for a while. 

Deciding to change into something more comfortable, Harry makes sure his door is fully closed before he takes off his shirt. He avoids spending time naked, even if it's only the top half of his body. He just can't do it. He doesn't remember the last time he had a proper look at himself in the mirror. He grabs a clean t-shirt and heads into the bathroom that is attached to his room. He shuts that door too, just in case, and finds a full length mirror on the back of the door. 

Sighing, Harry strips off his dress shirt and takes a look in the mirror. His once smooth skin is full of red lines screaming out at him, reminding him how he destroyed his body. He stood there, running his fingers over his stretch marks, holding back tears. How could anyone ever love someone with scars like that, he wondered. Running his hands up his body, he stops at the unfortunate man-boobs he developed. Quickly passing those, he brings his hands up to his face, touching the skin hanging from under his chin. He doesn't do this often. He doesn't like to acknowledge what he has done to himself. 

A knock on his door brought him out of his daze. Throwing on his t-shirt, he called a quick, "come in" and stepped into his bedroom once more.

"There you are, mate. We're just about to start filming introductions. I'm Niall, in case you forgot my name from earlier. I'm a coach here. I won't be doing any of the training but I'll always be there on the field for moral support you know? I'm assigned to you and Zayn, he is in the room next to you. If you ever need to talk or are looking for advice, I'm your guy," Niall smiled brightly at him. 

Harry nodded and offered a simple, "Thank you" before he was being pulled away by Niall who was telling him about the idea he had for Harry's introduction for the first show, which includes Liam because they actually caught that entire thing just hours ago on camera. He thinks he is going to keep that as a surprise for Liam to find out in 2 weeks when the show first airs.

xXx

"So this is the room you'll probably be in the most" Niall said, guiding Harry into the kitchen. He grabs Harry by the hand and leads him to take a seat on the stool over the breakfast bar. "A lot of people don't understand that losing weight takes more than working out. You need to start eating healthy. Don't worry, I'm not going to make you eat like salads and crackers. You're allowed to eat, Haz, just cut down some portions, substitute drinks with water. It all makes a difference. You need to find a balance" Niall explains.

"Haz," Harry questioned.

"Oh hah! Let that one slip didn't I? I like to give all my friends nicknames. I didn't know if I liked Haz or calling you Styles better. Haz just slipped out, I guess that's a keeper…if you don't mind" Niall replied.

Smiling fondly at Niall, Harry replied, "No, I like it".

"Good, I was going to call you that whether you liked it or not," Niall smirked before going into further explanation on all kitchen appliances, as if Harry has never used a microwave before.

As Harry watched Niall talk, he noticed how beautiful Niall really was. Since Harry's gotten there, Niall hasn't given him any dirty looks, made any rude comments. He's just been real and Harry missed that about people. He doesn't like the fake smiles he receives when walking into a shop, the rolling of eyes when he asks to try on a pair of pants at the mall. Niall's been nothing be kind and real with Harry, even if it's only been one day. 

He likes Niall. 

xXx

"Hello everyone! I'm so happy to see all of you here," Daisy, the host of the show, said to all the contestants who were finally all sat down together on the patio in the backyard. Harry sees Niall sitting on a bench with 4 other people, behind Daisy. "I am really proud that all of you made it. I know this is all so new and it might take a while to get used to the cameras, but just be yourselves. Your time here, for however long it is, is going to be life-changing. We've hired some of the best trainers and we really do want to make a difference in your life".

Harry looks around the backyard, already spotting a path that goes farther than what he can see. It reminds him of Liam. Liam's always been in shape, always going for a morning run, even if he spent the night at Harry's house. He suddenly wishes that he actually accepted one of Liam's many offers to go running with him at least twice a week.

Daisy continues, "I'm sure most of you have met some coaches here already. As they've probably told you, they're not trainers. They are here to help motivate you when working out. Comfort you when you're feeling down. They are your go-to people. There are 12 of you here and only 5 coaches, to make it easier on you we've assigned 2-3 contestants to each coach. Niall, Ben, Amanda, Chris and Kyla are here for you. Don't be afraid to approach them," Daisy says as she motions for the 5 behind her to stand up. 

Niall sees Harry and sends him a little wave. What has Harry gotten himself into.

The boy next to Harry shoots his arm in the air, like he is in high school wanting to ask a question. "Hi, I'm Zayn. Niall already introduced himself to me, but like, hypothetically speaking, what if I wanted to switch coaches," he asks.

Harry looks over at Zayn and raises an eyebrow. Why wouldn't he want Niall as his coach. 

Niall starts laughing from behind Daisy and steps forward to be beside her. "Is this because I messed up your hair?" he asks, still laughing. "I was making sure your hair wouldn't crack off if I flattened it".

Everyone in the backyard is laughing. A female contestant yells out, "I'll take Niall if you don't want him…no offence Kyla," which makes everyone laugh even harder. Harry thinks this place won't be so bad after all. 

xXx

After the little pep talk in the backyard, everyone is sent off to their room to change into a set of work out clothes that was left by someone working in the BL House while everyone was outside. Harry finds a green t-shirt and white shorts on his bed. Walking to the bathroom, Harry, again, strips out of his clothes and changes. 

He finds Niall sitting on his bed when he walks out of the bathroom. Harry's face turns red. What if he had walked back into his room without a shirt and Niall saw. What if the camera crew had come in with Niall and captured everything for the world to see.

"Sorry for scaring ya mate! Just wanted to make sure you don't want to swap me for Ben," Niall says with a smile on his face.

Harry shakes his head and bows his head down to smile at the ground, "Now why would I want to do that, Niall".

Niall stands up, and pulls Harry's face up so they're face to face. "You've got a lovely smile, Harry. Don't be selfish and not share it with the rest of the world," Niall says in a serious tone that he hasn't used with Harry yet. 

Harry can feel himself blushing, Niall's hands are still on his cheeks. Harry hates to admit it, but this is probably the most intimate thing he's experienced since he gained all this weight. His mom and Liam always pinch his chubby cheeks and tell him how cute he is. Niall is just holding him, gently running his thumb over the skin. 

"You don't have to shy away from me Harry," Niall says, still holding onto Harry's face.

"I won't," is all Harry replies with. And he won't. He feels like he can trust Niall. He quickly adds a "You have a lovely smile too. And you have a great laugh".

Niall let's go of Harry's cheeks, and this time he is the one blushing. "It took some time for my smile to be like this. I had to get braces. They hurt like a bitch but I guess they did the job" Niall says, as he flashes his pearly whites.

"Well, I'm sure you had a lovely smile before the braces, too" Harry says, which earns him a hug from Niall. 

Niall has his arms around Harry's torso. They don't make it all the way around but they're there, on his body. This isn't like a hug from his mom or from Liam, who are always jokingly squeezing at his tummy. This is a proper hug from a guy he's known for less than a day. 

Niall lets go and smiles at Harry again. "Sorry about that, I just always got picked on about my smile when I was a kid," he explains. 

Harry's still kind of in shock over the hug. No one really tries to touch him, like ever. No one ever wants to sit beside him on the bus or when he was in university, he usually sat alone because his weight made other people uncomfortable. 

"Anyway, there was a reason I came up here! It's time for your first weigh in. Good thing you changed. I picked the colours, if you didn't notice, I'm Irish," Niall said.

Laughing, Harry replied, "I noticed. So for the weigh in…is everybody going to be in the room?" he asked, getting nervous.

"Haz. We started filming like as soon as you and Liam arrived. Everyone will be in the room, including the camera crew. I'll be there too. It's okay. I know this is a big step but you'll be fine. As soon as that's done, it's dinner time and we have this great chef who is going to make us something gluten-free or whatever," Niall explained.

"Ok," Harry answered. Niall wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders and they headed towards the weigh-in room.

xXx

"Next we have Zayn Malik. Please step onto the scale" Daisy called out. The weigh-in room had what looked like a mini stage, with a scale and a screen on the wall that showed your weight. The coaches all sat with their contestants in the chairs provided. It all looks like a mini-movie theatre, Harry thought.

Niall was the last coach, Zayn and Harry were the last contestants to be weighed. Hesitantly, Zayn stood up from his seat. If Zayn wanted to swap coaches, he changed his mind because he grabbed Niall's hand and asked "could you come up with me, I can't do this alone".

Niall, without hesitation, stood up and lead Zayn to the stage. He let go of Zayn's hand as soon as he stepped onto the scale. 264 was the number that flashed onto the screen on the wall. As soon as Zayn stepped off the scale, Niall wrapped his arms around him, whispering a "I knew you could do it" into his ear.

"Last but not least, we have Harry Styles. Please step onto the scale," Daisy finished. 

Harry has just watched 11 contestants go on up and be brave but he still didn't have the courage to do it. The room was spinning. He knows he's one of the biggest people here, he just doesn't want the number to confirm it. He doesn't notice that Niall is beside him until he feels a hand on his, lacing his fingers with Harry. 

"I'm here for you Harry. Remember what I said. Don't shy away from me. Pretend it's only us in here okay. Just us. I wouldn't hurt you. I'm not doing this to embarrass you," Niall pep talks. 

Harry looks at their entwined fingers and just nods. Niall walks him up to the stage, like he had done with Zayn and let's go as soon as he's on the scale.

276 is the number flashes behind Harry. He is engulfed in a hug when he steps down. 

"I am so proud of you Haz," Niall says. 

Harry hugs back and realizes how thankful he is to have Niall as a coach and Zayn as a fellow contestant. Niall was the only coach who went up with his team. The other coaches told their contestants that this was something they needed to do alone.

Harry steps back, keeping an arm around Niall, but reaches forward to Zayn, pulling him in. 

Niall whispers to them, "I'm happy they assigned me to you". 

"I think I'll keep you," Zayn replied which got a chuckle out of Niall.

Breaking up their moment, Daisy puts on her host voice and says, "Welcome to the Biggest Loser."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted this to be like 3 parts but i feel like i would be rushing it.  
> again, i had this idea in my head for a while and im not really a writer but thanks for checking it out (:


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a few days since their first weigh-in at the BL House. Harry still doesn't want to believe that in a few weeks, when the first episode airs, everyone in the country is going to know his weight. He hasn't even told his mom how much he actually weighs in years. He didn't think his life would change this much in such a small amount of time. Niall told him that he needs to take baby steps. He needs to be patient and stay committed. He still can't believe how lucky he is to have Niall as a coach. He's also really glad that Zayn is on his 'team'. They haven't had time to really talk but Niall told them that they'd have many chances to get to know each other better.

Rolling out of his bed, Harry groans out while he stretches, his t-shirt ridding up a little. He's still not exactly sure if there are hidden cameras hidden in his room so he quickly pulls down the t-shirt. He's okay with wearing the t-shirt, he's used to the flabbiness of his arms, but he's not, he doesn't think he'll ever be, comfortable to show off his torso again. The roundness of his stomach, the sag of his man-boobs, the scars indented in skin. He can't imagine what people would say or even think if they saw him shirtless.

He can't remember the last time he went to a beach. It was probably before high school, he thinks. Liam is always saying they should go but he's Liam. Liam with the abs. The toned arms. The toned legs. Harry's not even close to being what Liam is. He doesn't think he'll ever be like Liam.

Harry pushes those thoughts out of his head and he heads out of his bedroom. He passes Zayn's door and quietly knocks. 

He hears a muffled "fuck off, yeah, it's like 7 in the morning".

Laughing, Harry decides to knock again saying, "Are you decent? I don't want to intrude. And it's like 9 in the morning Zayn. We need to go figure out how to prepare a well balanced breakfast", he half-jokes (they were given an itinerary and this is actually something they are supposed to do today). If it was Liam room, Harry would step into it no problem. He'd probably jump on the bed for effect. But it's Zayn. He doesn't know much about Zayn or what he's gone through. He might be as insecure as Harry so he doesn't want to risk walking into his room embarrassing Zayn. Harry knows he'd feel embarrassed if someone walked into his room if he wasn't decent.

"Come in," Harry heard Zayn growl.

Harry opens the door and see that Zayn's room is a mess. They've only been there for a couple days. There are clothes thrown all over the room. Harry put his clothes away as soon as Niall showed him his room on the first day. Zayn has his suitcase in the middle of the room with clothes hanging around it. There was a pile on each side of his bed. A trail of pants leading to the washroom. It was a disaster. 

"What happened in here, mate" Harry wondered out loud. 

"Oh, uh, sorry about it," Zayn said, sitting up in his bed. "It's just, you know those days when nothing you own fits you properly? Well, I've been having those days, for like 5 years now. I'm just used to my clothes being everywhere," Zayn explained.

"I get those days all the time. I used to feel like such a girl because I would change my outfit at least 3 times before I found something comfortable to wear," Harry admits. He eventually broke out of it because sweatpants, he found, are life-savers.

Zayn chuckled, "It's awful, mate. My sisters used to joke around, you know, calling me Zaynie or some shit name like that. Do you have any siblings?" he asked, getting up from his bed, grabbing clean, or Harry assumed clean, clothes from the floor. After a few seconds of shuffling around his room, he sat back down on his bed.

Shaking his head no, Harry answered, "Just my mum. My dad left us about 4 years ago..that's when this," Harry gestured to his body, "happened. I blamed myself for him leaving. I had just come out to them and the next thing I know, he's leaving. Mum said it's not my fault but I was just a kid then, like I just turned 18 and I just blamed myself. That's when I turned to food, I think. I'm not saying this is my dad's fault but I guess it's what triggered it" Harry explained.

"So you're gay," Zayn asked. 

Really, Harry thought. He just opened up and that's all he got back. 

"Er, yeah. Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I'll leave you alone," Harry began to panic. He didn't mean for this to happen. 

"Harry, you're such a twat for thinking that. I don't care that you're gay. Did you write in that you were gay on the application you submitted with your video, or is it just a coincidence that they paired the 2 gay contestants together," Zayn laughed.

Harry was about to answer when he noticed Zayn's laugh die down and he was looking at something behind Harry. He slowly turned around and saw Niall standing in the doorway with a camera crew behind him.

"I'm so sorry for eavesdropping. I didn't-I. I'm just so sorry. About everything," Niall spluttered out.

Harry paled. This isn't exactly how he wanted things to happen. He thought he'd maybe open up to Niall eventually, and with his actual consent, just not like this. Harry knew that there would be no privacy when he signed up for this. It's just hard to remember that there are cameramen and possible hidden cameras in every room (minus his bathroom he hopes), 24/7. Harry doesn't need people to judge him for being overweight and for being gay. He already put up with all the ridicule in university, he doesn't need to relive that part of his life again.

"Zayn, do you mind if I steal Harry for a bit. Again, I'm so sorry that I intruded this moment but this is so good," Niall said as Harry eyed the cameras. Catching Harry's gaze, Niall shook his head, "No, Harry. Not good for the show. Good for you. This is excellent progress. Can we talk? We can go back to your room in private if you want," Niall finished.

"Playing favourites already Niall," Zayn mused. 

Throwing his head back in laughter Niall replied, "Of course not Zayn! Did you miss everything Harry just said. This is such good progress. He's able to pin-point what triggered his eating habits. If you opened up, I'd kick Harry out so we can talk".

"Such a lame excuse Niall. Well, if you'd excuse me, I think Harry mentioned something about a 'well-balanced' breakfast, that is hopefully full of bacon, is waiting for me in the kitchen," Zayn said, earning him a laugh from Harry and Niall. 

"Right, that's why I came up to find you! We actually have a chef here who is going to tell us all about eating a good breakfast. Something full of fibre, I don't know. We actually have to go down…right now. They sent me up to find you. Harry, we can talk after yeah? Your first gym session is at 4pm and that's no time to talk. How about after you've showered. We can go out back for a walk, yeah? That's only if you want to talk about it. I know I kind of barged in. I'm so sorry" Niall rambled on.

"Ok," Harry agreed, still in shock. 

Niall walked the rest of the way into the room and put an arm around Harry's shoulder, whispering another "I'm sorry" before pulling Zayn in with his other arm. "Let's go learn why bacon is not, and never will be considered a well-balanced breakfast," he finished, pulling both boys out of the room, the camera crew capturing every second.

xXx

Harry's first session with the trainer was brutal. He doesn't know which part he hated more; all the running he had to do which lead to him throwing up on the side of the path or the fact that cameras were there every step of the way. Niall said he was going to be there but Harry assured him that he could do this alone and that Niall should go spend some time with Zayn. After Zayn made the comment of Niall favouriting Harry, Harry wanted to make sure that it was nothing like that. Harry didn't want to hog Niall, as much as he would like to. Zayn needs Niall just as much as Harry needs him. 

Harry's in the kitchen grabbing a water bottle when he spots Niall and Zayn sitting close to each other across the hall in the living room. Zayn says something that causes Niall to throw his head back in laughter. Harry wishes he could make Niall, or anyone, laugh like that. He turns around and heads for the stairs to take a shower. 

He's still not sure how this show actually works. He asked a producer and it confused him even more. The cameras are on them for a full week, then they take the footage and compress it into an hour long show. Harry doesn't know how you're supposed to fit 168 hours into 1 single episode but he trusts them. 

The week started when they came to the house and he guesses it ends tomorrow because it's the second weigh-in. Someone has to go home tomorrow. Harry hopes it not him or Zayn. He isn't ready to leave the house or Niall yet. While all the other coaches and trainers were pushing their contestants to their limits, Niall has taken his time to educate the boys in the kitchen. Niall told them "80% of weight loss comes from what you're eating, 20% is working out". Harry won't blame him if he gets kicked off the show first. 

Harry's in his bathroom looking at the mirror on the back of the door. He doesn't feel or look like he's lost any weight. He's seen all the other contestants walking back into the house out of breath and sweating, while he and Zayn have just sat in the kitchen with Niall, learning about the food groups. There is just something about Niall that makes Harry trust him so if eating healthy this past week helped him lose weight, well, he'll just have to find out tomorrow at the weigh-in. 

Sighing, Harry turned away from the mirror and stepped into the shower. Harry used to love taking showers but as he got bigger, the space in the shower got smaller so he jumped in and jumped out as soon as possible.

Towels don't fit around his waist like they used to but he forgot to bring in clean clothes so he securely wraps it around his waist and walks out into his room. He hasn't done this in ages. He always brings clothes in with him, even in his house because he didn't want to see his mom's reaction to his body. 

He's still the same Harry, there's just more to love now. 

As he ruffles around his dresser looking for clean clothes, he hears Niall walking towards his room. Niall's got this laugh. It's not like any laugh he's heard before. His is loud and can be heard from a mile away. Harry quickly tugs on a pair of sweatpants, forgetting about his boxers because it's something he's always done, and throws on a shirt as he hears Niall knock on his door. 

"Come in," Harry yells a bit breathless. 

Niall steps in, looking shyly at Harry. "Hey, Haz," he starts, "I hope I didn't ruin things earlier when I listened in. I know it wasn't the best thing to do. If you wanted me to know, you would have told me yourself. Don't feel obligated to talk to me about it. You probably don't trust me anymore. Sorry I'm a shit coach," he finishes, looking sad. 

Harry knows it's been about a week since he met Niall but he just can't help but walk over to him and pull him into a hug. They've hugged before, Niall initiating them, but he can't stand Niall looking sad. He embraces Niall around his waist like he's done it a million times, Niall throwing his arms around Harry's neck in return. 

"I'm not mad at you or anything. Please don't think that," Harry says, giving Niall an extra squeeze. "I would have told you eventually. I trust you. The cameras just put me off a bit. Sometimes I forget they're around," he says, pulling his arms back from around Niall's waist. 

Niall looks up at Harry, "I saw the way your face dropped when you saw them. I can tell them to delete the footage if that's what you want. It was my fault they caught it. I don't want you to be upset,".

"I signed up for this Ni. I knew there would be cameras. I just need to be more aware," Harry said, trying to assure Niall. He didn't think this is how their conversation would be like. 

He never knows what to expect with Niall. Just yesterday he was demanding a piggy-back from Harry because he wants to know what he's missing from that height (Harry is only 3 inches taller than Niall but he laughed and let Niall jump on his back anyway), and now they're acting like their friendship has been broken.

Niall looked up at Harry, smile showing off his perfect teeth. "Ni," he questioned.

Laughing at how the conversation turned for the better, Harry replied, "You aren't the only one who gives their friends nicknames".

"So we're good," Niall questioned.

Sighing, Harry replied, "We were always good,". 

"Perfect. Now if you come with me, I have something to show you," Niall said, dragging Harry out of the room.

xXx

Harry's been in the house for almost a week but he spent most of the time in his room, in the kitchen or at the gym (barely using the equipment because Niall wants to make sure they know how to use it properly so they don't hurt themselves). Niall leads him to the backyard, which he remembers from the first day they were all gathered and introduced to each other.

Harry notices a pool that must have been covered up because he doesn't remember seeing it the last time he was out there. He also notices a blanket on the ground with little lamps set up around them.

"I know you said you're not mad but I thought you were so this was my attempt to make it up to you," Niall starts, plopping himself onto the blanket, motioning for Harry to sit down with him.

Harry sat down, legs stretched out in front of him while Niall sat cross-legged beside him.

They were enjoying the sunset beyond the hills of the path when Niall finally spoke up, "I had a brother, his name was Greg. I heard you telling Zayn about your family. I had a brother, he died when I was about 15 and it hit me, hard. He was hit by a car on his way home from school. Just like that. The driver of the car didn't even stop. We still don't know who did it," Niall said.

Harry boldly turned to Niall, grabbed his hand and said, "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, Ni. You don't owe me anything".

Niall squeezed Harry's hand and continued, "I'm okay now. I didn't understand it at first. How could someone just keep driving. Do they know the hit killed him? Did they care at all? I was pretty messed up after that. I didn't let anyone into my life. I pushed my friends and parents away. I took the anger out on myself," he started. He let go of Harry's hand and rolled up the shorts to around his thighs, showing Harry his scars.

Carefully, Harry took his hand traced the scars on his legs. There weren't many, some healed over time, blending in with the natural pale of Niall's skin tone, but they were there.

"One day I snapped out of it. It's like Greg's angel shoved me and knocked the sense back into me. I wasn't the only one hurting, you know. Everyone around me was hurting and I made it worse on everyone. That's when I decided I wanted to help people. I didn't care how I did it. I just wanted to make people smile and happy and feel good. Life is too short and it shouldn't be wasted on being sad," Niall continued. 

"I miss him a lot but I'm happy. I like to think that's he watching over me, you know. I think he'd be proud," Niall finished, wiping a tear from his eye.

Harry turned to face Niall, "I think he'd be so proud of you Ni. You didn't upset me earlier today. You've made me feel good about myself the moment we met on the first day. Everyone I meet always looks at me like I'm not human. Not you. You made me feel like an actual person and you've been nothing to good to me. I always look forward to spending time with you because you make me happy and I haven't been happy in a long time," Harry said, choking up a bit. 

Niall threw himself on Harry, ending up in his lap, engulfing him in a hug. "You don't understand how happy I am that I was placed with you," he muffled into Harry's neck. 

After a moment, Niall removed himself from Harry's lap but sat so he was still facing him. He grabbed Harry's face, like he did on the first day, and kissed Harry's cheek. 

They sat there, watching as the sun disappeared and the stars began to shine. They shared stories from their childhood, some good, some bad. They stayed there until a crew member found them and said it's well past midnight and they should probably head to sleep because of the long day ahead. Niall walked Harry back all the way to his room where he again placed a kiss on Harry's check before telling him goodnight.

Harry chucked off his clothes and fell into bed with a smile on his face.

One week and he's fallen for Niall. One week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos. i even saw people recommending this on tumblr..omg haha.
> 
> so thanks again for all your feedback :D
> 
> i didn't read this part over so if something's off, please let me know 
> 
> i hope you enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

"Run Styles! Move it, move it. move it, move it! Come on Styles, my grandma can run faster than you!" shouted Peter while running, more like speed walking, behind Harry. "Do you want to be in the bottom 3 again Harry? No," Peter continued shouting. Peter is Harry's trainer, and kind of a dick. 

Life at the BL House hasn't exactly been rainbows and sunshine, like it was the first week. It's not like Harry isn't losing weight, he just isn't losing as much as the other contestants. He doesn't blame Niall though. Niall has actually taught him a lot about taking care of your body by taking up yoga and stretching, or going for walks after dinner and how to prepare light snacks that keep him full. Harry does work out, just not as much as the others and his trainer noticed that when he caught Harry in the kitchen making himself a trail mix, while the other 7 contestants were in the gym.

"Move Styles. I didn't tell you to stop. You've been in the bottom 3 for 4 weeks now. Do you know how that makes me look? I'm your trainer and you're doing a shit job of representing me. Run," Peter yelled.

Harry thinks he's lucky. He has been in the bottom since the first weigh-in but he's always managed to beat out the other person by a pound or two. He doesn't know how he's made it so far. Niall tells him it's because he isn't done with him yet.

Harry stops running and moves to the side of the path to throw up on the grass. This isn't new. Harry's always been a shit runner. He's thrown up every time he's run on the path with Peter. He wishes the cameras were around to catch all of this. He hasn't seen the other trainers abuse their contestants like Peter's abusing him. The other trainers are always behind yelling words of encouragement and making sure their contestant stops to drink water and catch their breath. Not Peter. 

"Are you listening to me Styles. Do you want to run another lap. I'll keep you here all day if I have to. Do you want to go home. Is that it? Is that why you aren't even trying. Pick your fat ass up and run," Peter growls, pulling Harry to his feet by the back of his shirt.

He has no energy. They've been out on the path for at least two hours. Harry's sure dinner was at least 45 minutes ago. He's never wanted to go home so much as he does now. He could get Liam to kick Peter's ass. Liam could totally take this guy.

"Stop your crying, you baby. Tears didn't save Kim last weak, did they. I don't know how you lost 1 pound more than her but she should be here. What about Carl, huh? He worked 10 times harder than you. Start running," Peter shoves Harry, which causes him to trip and land on his hands and knees. Peter groans a "you've got to be fucking kidding me".

He doesn't know when he started crying but now that Peter pointed it out, he can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. Harry's just about given up. He's ready to pack his bags and go home. He's lost about 20 pounds since he's got here, Liam can help him with the rest. He and Zayn already said they'd visit each other after the show is over. He hopes he'll stay in touch with Niall. Harry's planning his goodbye when he hears a "No, you've got to be fucking kidding me".

Niall is standing behind Peter. Harry's never seen Niall look so angry before. His fists are balled up at his sides and his face is red, and not in the flushed way Harry likes them. He looks pissed, as he stomps up the path toward Peter.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing. Do you really think you're helping him. Jesus Christ, Peter. This isn't your job. You're supposed to help him, not bring him down like that," Niall pushes past Peter to help Harry up.

"Back off Niall. You aren't his trainer. Teaching him how to be Martha Stewart isn't going to help him in the real world. I'm toughening him up. The kids been in the bottom 3 times. He needs discipline" Peter says, trying to defend himself.

"What he needs is support. Being an asshole to him isn't going to help him anywhere. What is wrong with you? This isn't what the show is about. You are supposed to be a positive person in his life, especially now. You should really go pack your bags, this show won't want you once I tell them what happened," Niall spat out.

Peter laughed, throwing his head back, "If you think this show is getting rid of me, you've lost your mind. I'm one of the best trainers here, they wouldn't let me go, or believe you," he stops when he spots Daisy, a camera crew and a security escort approaching. 

"Next time you want to push down one of my contestants, make sure it's farther down the path where no one can actually fucking see you. Let's go Harry," Niall finishes, extending his hand out to Harry.

Harry doesn't know when holding Niall's hand became a regular thing. It's comforting though, having someone there especially at a time like this. As they're walking away they hear a struggling Peter yell out a "Fuck you, Horan". Niall doesn't even flinch, he just pulls Harry towards the house. 

Zayn is sitting on a chair in the the back patio. He stands and pulls Harry into a hug. Harry immediately relaxes into it. The last 2 hours of his life have been hell. He has dried vomit on his shirt and the tears haven't fully stopped but this is what he needs right now. 

"You weren't at dinner and I got worried so I came out here and I saw him push you and I just had to get Niall. Peter's a dick but he's never pushed me, shit Harry. I'm going to kill him. What happened out there," Zayn questioned, wiping the tears from Harry's face. 

"Harry's been out here for too long. Why don't we let him shower and rest. We'll all talk in the morning ok," Niall suggested. Zayn nodded and the three of them headed inside.

Harry's never going to get over how lucky he is that he now has Zayn and Niall in his life. 

xXx

Harry's alone in his bathroom taking in his current state. He has cuts on his knees and the palms of his hands. He can feel a bruise growing on the back of his neck. He thought the kids at university were bad but this is even worse. No one at university actually physically harmed him. There was name calling and rude comments, but he was never injured. 

He runs a towel through his hair and puts on fresh clothes. When he walks out, he sees Niall sitting on the edge of his bed. This doesn't even surprise him anymore. He's been here for about a month now and since the night Niall opened up about his past, they've grown pretty close. The only time Harry isn't with Niall is when Niall is with Zayn, or at night when Niall is in his own room, which is a little property right by the house where all the coaches, trainers and crew reside after hours.

Niall has a fist aid kit on his lap. "For the scrapes from when he pushed you. I'm sorry Haz. I should have been there. I was supposed to be there," Niall says, beating himself up for it.

"Don't do that. I told you not to come. You've seen me vomit one too many times and Zayn needed you. It's okay. I'm okay. Just a scratch," Harry says, lifting up his palms to show Niall that he is still in one piece. 

"I don't care how many times I've seen you vomit, Harry. I care about you," Niall says as stands up and places the first aid kit on the bed. He walks toward Harry, taking his hands and pulling his palms to inspect them. He places a kiss on both before motioning Harry to sit on the bed. He opens the first aid kit and takes out some gauze and neatly wraps it around each of Harry's hand, then kisses both of them again. He then plops himself down to the floor to bandage up his scrapped knees.

"Thank you," Harry breathes out. He's sure he washed all the cuts thoroughly in the shower but it just feels so good to be taken care of so he doesn't stop it. 

Niall stands up from the floor, and grabs the first aid kit. Harry thinks Niall is about to leave for the night but watches him place the kit on the dresser and walks back to the bed. He pulls the corner of the cover off and motions for Harry to slip under them. 

"Are you going to read me a bedtime story too," Harry jokes, trying to lighten the mood, as he snuggles under the covers. He knows today was tough but he's a big boy, he can handle it. He's made it this far.

Niall shakes his head and without warning, gets into the bed beside Harry. They aren't even fully touching but Harry tenses, he doesn't mean to but this is not something he is used to. He had sleepovers with Liam when he was a kid but those stopped when the two of them could no longer fit in Harry or Liam's double-sized beds.

The beds in the BL House were queen-sized and could apparently comfortably hold Harry and Niall, with some room to spare. Niall gets comfy under the covers and searches for Harry's hand under them. He squeezes his hand tight before pulling it from under the blankets to rest on his lap. 

"I do care about you Harry. Not just because it's my job to. It stopped being my job the moment I saw you outside. I knew you were a special person. You can't just brush this off. This was never supposed to happen. It wouldn't have happened if I was there," Niall spoke, still clutching to Harry's hand.

"Niall, I don't blame you for what happened out there," Harry replied, squeezing Niall's hand this time. 

"I'm still so sorry it happened. You don't deserve to be treated like that. Never," Niall said as he turned on his side to look at Harry. 

Harry takes in how close he is to Niall. He can feel the other boys breath on his cheek. If Harry just tilts his head up a little, he could easily kiss Niall. But it's Harry so he won't be making the first move. Ever.

"I'm used to it Ni. I made it through uni and put it behind me. This is just another thing to brush off," Harry says trying to reassure Niall that it wasn't his fault. He doesn't do a good job because he can hear Niall sniffling beside him.

Clearing his throat, Niall starts, "It's just..When I saw you crying," he huffs out a shaky breath, wiping his eyes with his other hand.

Harry doesn't even know why Niall's crying but seeing him tear up makes him tear up. Two grown men laying side by side and crying is going to make good television, Harry thinks. He now knows for sure there is a hidden camera in his room. He asked a producer a couple of weeks ago and made sure to always change in the bathroom.

Niall starts again, "I don't like it when you cry. I wanted to punch him so bad Haz. He made you cry and I just wanted to get back at him. But I knew Daisy and the producers were on their way and I just couldn't risk being sent home too. I can't leave you, not yet," he finished.

"I'm glad you didn't hit him. I don't know what I would have done if they sent you home. I'd probably call Liam to get me," Harry confesses.

Niall sits up a bit, turning to Harry, "Promise me we'll stay in contact after the show".

Harry laughs a bit, that causes Niall to playfully shove at him. "I kinda thought we would. I hoped, anyway".

"Good, now go to sleep, we have a long day tomorrow," Niall says as he places a kiss on Harry's cheek before letting go of Harry's hand. Niall gets up from the bed and walks over to the light switch. Harry's sitting up, hoping that his face doesn't scream out "I'm very disappointed right now" because that's exactly what he is. He wants Niall to stay. Stay in his bed and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. He wants him cuddled up to Harry, hands tangled under the covers. He just wants him. 

"Goodnight," Harry whispers and Niall turns off the light and shuts the door behind him. 

xXx

Harry wakes up the next morning with a not so pleasant wake up call. Someone throws his door open, which makes the door bounce off the wall and before Harry can register what's happening, someone pounces on him. The unexpected force of the pounce causes him to groan in pain and that makes the person on him roll off laughing.

Liam is curled up in a ball on the space next to Harry on the bed, clutching his stomach because of how hard he is laughing. "Mate," Liam breathes out, "You should have seen your face. Oh my god. It was priceless," Liam continues to laugh. Harry sits up. It's been just over a month since he's seen Liam. 

"Li," Harry all but squeals, "What are you even doing here. Did my mum come? Did you sneak in some sweets. Liam, shit mate. I miss you so much," Harry rambles out, pulling Liam into his chest. 

"I got a call from Niall yesterday evening. He said something happened yesterday and thought it would be a good idea if I came down for a few hours today. What happened, Harry," Liam asked, all the laughter from 2 minutes ago, gone.

Harry sighed and pushed his wild morning curls away from his eyes. "My trainer took me for a run yesterday and started to get angry when threw up on the path. He was shouting at me and said that I don't really deserve to be here because I don't work hard enough. Then he shoved me to the ground," Harry showed him the gauzed on his hands. "The cuts aren't that bad but Niall insisted to wrap them. Anyway, he was just yelling at me when I started crying and that's when Niall came. Zayn, he's in the room next to me, saw what was happening from the window and called Niall. I should really thank him for that. I haven't seen him yet," Harry finished.

Liam sat there, taking everything in. "I'm going to kill him. Who is he? Does he even know how this show works," he exclaimed. 

"It's okay, Liam. I'm okay. I promise," Harry said as he pulled Liam into another hug. God, he missed his best friend.

Liam pulled back, ruffled Harry's hair stood up from the bed. He walked out of the room, leaving Harry puzzled in bed. He then heard, what he assumed to be Liam, banging on the door next to Harry's. He knew this wouldn't end well. Zayn likes his sleep. Harry's just about to pull Liam back into his room when the banging stops and hears a "Who the fuck are you and why are you banging on my door". Harry quickly gets out of the bed and sprints to the hallway, where things have gone quiet.

He sees Liam hugging a squirming Zayn, chanting "Thank you so much for saving my Harry".

Zayn awkwardly pats Liam's back and says, "Not a problem, mate. I love that curly haired fucker". Zayn squeezes Liam before letting go. The three of them head into Harry's room and sit around talking for a bit when they hear a knock.

Niall pops his head in and says "I'm so glad you're all here," but stops when Liam attacks him with a hug.

"Mate, you're invited to every birthday outing, every Christmas, every New Year party. Everything. I'm naming my first born after you. Or my turtle. He'll live if I change his name," Liam says, pulling away from the hug. He keeps Niall close to him, they are eye to eye and Liam whispers, "Thank you for taking care of him for me,".

Niall shoots Liam the smile that drives Harry crazy and says, "Of course, mate."

"So I don't want to ruin anything but like, did you bring me a model or like a pizza or maybe, I don't know, my best friend?" Zayn questioned.

Niall laughs and replies, "They were all busy, mate, but I did manage to get us a car today. We're going to your mum's for dinner. I called her last night and she says she can't wait to see what you've learned. Everyone gets an off day because of what happened yesterday."

Zayn flops on the bed dramatically and whimpers out "But I wanted pizza".

Liam throws his head back in laughter. "You and Harry are so alike. I told him that I wouldn't be surprised if he used the house phone here to order in a pizza," he laughs out.

Zayn shoots up from the bed, "Why didn't I think of that! I use that phone like every day and I haven't even tried calling a pizza place," he says.

They all start laughing and Harry thinks he could definitely get used to the four of them hanging out on a regular basis. They all click and know how to have a laugh. Once the laughter dies down, Niall explains how today is going to work. They're all to go get changed out of their pyjama's and meet outside by Liam's car in 40 minutes. They had a 2 hour drive to Zayn's. They'd leave Zayn's house around 7pm and Liam would spend the night on a cot in Harry's room. 

Zayn mentions something about being able exchange the comic books he had brought with him, with the ones he left at home before he leaves and Liam literally follows him out of the room, jaw wide open. Harry hears Liam breathe out "oh my god, you read comics" then the door slams shut, leaving Harry and Niall alone.

"Thank you for inviting him. I've missed him so much" Harry says, turning to face Niall. They're both on his bed, same position as last night.

"It's nothing. Daisy and the producers thought it would be best if we had a day off and just relaxed. This has been a crazy month. I thought you might be missing Liam so I'm glad this turned out okay," Niall shrugs. "I'll let you go get ready, I'll meet you down there in a bit," he says as he gets up from the bed and makes his way out of Harry's room.

They all meet downstairs after they're done getting ready, pile into Liam's car and hit the road. The drive to Zayn's is spent singing along to all the song on the radio, a short lived game of eye spy and 1 pit stop because Liam had to pee and one cannot drive with a full bladder.

Their time at Zayn's was as great as Harry thought it would be. He ends up doing most of the cooking with Niall while bonding with Zayn's mum, and Zayn spends time bonding with Liam in the living room. 

Harry's mum surprises him and shows up right before dinner is served. She embraces him in a tight hug and whispers how good he looks. 

They finish the night off with a toast to good friends, say their goodbyes and each head back to their own direction. That night when Harry hears Liam snoring in the bed beside him, cot forgotten on the floor, he feels happy. Genuinely happy and he can't help but think of the certain Irish man who made this all possible.


	5. Chapter 5

"Good evening everyone," Daisy announced from centre stage in the weigh-in room. They usually meet in there at the end of every week, for the actual weigh-in, but everyone was called on this Monday evening. Harry glanced around the room, looking at the expressions of the remaining contestants. There were 6 left, including him. In just a short amount of weeks, there would be a winner. Someone in this room is leaving a winner but Harry feels like he's already won so much by being on this show. He's got Niall and Zayn and actually managed to to lose around 40 pounds since he came here. It didn't matter to him when his time in the BL House ends, he's leaving a better and more confident man.

A chorus of "good evening" was replied back to her and she continued, "I'm sure you're all wondering why we called you in here. I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. You all made it so far and I believe that after the show, everyone in this room is going to keep up with what they've all learned here. There are no losers in this show. With that being said, I'm here to announce that 3 people will be going home on Saturday," she finished.

The room was silenced with this news. They just had a double elimination last week. Harry couldn't believe that they were sending half of the contestants home, just like that. He looks to his left and sees Zayn looking content with this news. He then turns to his right and sees Niall looking to the ground.

Niall stepped up to being their fitness trainer and support coach when the show said they had no time to find another trainer in such a short amount of time. Harry had joked around and said Liam could step in, but he wasn't properly qualified for the job. Niall was the only one who still had both of his contestants still in the competition. 

"I'm sorry to drop this on you guys but I hope this encourages you all to work hard this week. You all deserve to leave knowing that you fought to stay here. Have a goodnight everyone," Daisy finished, walking down the steps from the stage and waving a quick bye, before exiting the room.

Niall took this opportunity to walk over to the stage, "Hello everyone. It's been a real joy working here with all of you. Even if I didn't work with you personally, I want you all to know you've done an amazing job. You all look amazing and I'm so proud. I know a lot of people walked into this show feeling insecure but I want you all to leave with confidence. Don't let anyone tell you no. Don't let them put you down. That's what this show is about, yeah? You can do anything if you work hard enough," he finished. 

The 6 contestants all rose up to applaud Niall. His cheeks turned the pretty shade of pink that Harry is so fond of. Niall shook his head the applause died down. He gathered the rest of the coaches and trainers to the stage and they started to applaud for the contestants. Harry thinks he's going to save this memory for a long time.

What was supposed to be a bummer of a night turned into a night of laughs and happy tears. They all sat down in a circle on the stage and went around sharing their favourite BL House memories.

"But do you remember when Harry was making a smoothie and he forgot to put on the lid," Zayn exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I had just perfected my hair and this little shit forgets the lid. I swear he did it on purpose," laughed Zayn, nudging Harry's shoulder.

"Honest mistake," Harry smiled sweetly.

"Remember when we were all in the gym and Jackson let one out. I almost died," laughed Chloe, plugging her nose as a joke, making everyone else in the room break out in laughter.

"Oh like you've never farted while on the treadmill," Jackson replied trying to defend himself.

Harry wishes they did more of this. He only really got to know Zayn and Niall. He's been missing out on the others and everything they have to offer. 

Harry doesn't know how long they sat there sharing stories for but slowly, one by one, people started to pull out and head to sleep. It was only Harry, Zayn and Niall left at the end. 

"I'm really glad you messed my hair up on the first day we met," Zayn said, addressing Niall, after a moment of silence. "I didn't plan on liking you after that but your smile is so god damn contagious. I don't think I would have made if this far if it wasn't for you," Zayn said seriously. He nudged Harry after, "You too, mate. You talk really slow and I don't understand like half of your stories but I love you. If you and Liam don't visit me, I'm going to put a curse on you or something. Send you like sweets in a package so you gain like double of what you lost here" he said smiling, linking his arm around Harry's neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Niall let a laugh escape, quickly covering his mouth with his hands. "I know we're having a moment but Zayn, oh my god," he says still giggling. 

Harry watches the two of them bickering, trying not to think about the elimination on Saturday. This could be their last days here together. He knows he'll see them after the show but everything is so different out in the real world. The BL House is safe, especially now that Peter is gone. He has Niall and Zayn here everyday. Outside the show, he'll see them occasionally. That isn't enough for him. 

"I'm going to miss you guys" Harry says.

Niall and Zayn took this as an invitation to smother Harry into a hug, Niall whispering "we aren't going anywhere, promise".

xXx

Harry did work hard for the rest of the week. He didn't want to be in the bottom, especially when 3 people were going home. He woke up early to take a morning stroll on the path. Made healthy food decisions and even upped his speed on the treadmill. 

He was in his bathroom changing into his weigh-in outfit, a green t-shirt and white shorts, when he heard Niall laughing behind the door. He shook his head and entered his bedroom. He found Niall holding the picture frame that's been on his night table since he unpacked. The picture of him, his mom and Liam on Christmas. 

Noticing Harry's presence, Niall put the picture back down and said, "That's a lovely jumper you're wearing in that picture, you look really handsome."

Harry laughed, he and Liam always had an ugly Christmas jumper contest, it was tradition. Harry usually won. 

"Thanks," Harry replied, "That was the first Christmas without my dad. Didn't want to break all the traditions."

"I didn't mean to bring it up," Niall started, face turning red.

"It's okay Ni. I'm fine with it," Harry replied stepping closer to Niall, putting a hand on his shoulder to show he wasn't upset at him for bringing it up.

Niall smiled at him before ruffling his hair. "I came up here for a reason. So tonight.." Niall trailed off. It was weigh-in night. 3 people were going to be sent home. Harry could easily be one of those people. 

"I'm not scared of going home Niall. I did my best here and I feel better about myself. I have Liam at home and he can help me shed everything else I have to lose," Harry said calmly. It was all true. He wouldn't be upset or mad if he left tonight. 

"I just don't want you to leave yet. I think you could win this Harry," Niall replied. 

Harry smiled, looking Niall right in the eyes and said "I feel like I've already won."

xXx

"Hello everyone," exclaimed Daisy. "I'm so sad to see 3 of you going home tonight. You've all been wonderful to work with and I love you all very much. Let's just get this out of the way. We set up a little something in the living room, to say proper goodbyes after this. Let's do this," she finished. 

Daisy called the remaining 6 contestants one by one to get weighed. They did it differently this time. The screen behind the scale didn't show their weight, she said something about "to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats at home". Harry was the last to go up. Harry has grown to like the scale since he came to the BL House. Every time he stepped on it, a smaller number would replace the number he was at the last week. It gave him a little extra boost of confidence. 

He stepped off the scale and Daisy excused herself from the room to get the results from the producers. 

"I don't think I'll miss this part," Zayn spoke up, earning a few chuckles from the others in the room.

They all chatted until Daisy entered the room again. She lined them all up on the stage at random and began.

"I'm just going to rip the bandaid off. The 3 people going home tonight are Chloe, Luke and Zayn. You're all-" Daisy kept talking but Harry just tuned her out.

He turned to Zayn, grabbing him into a hug, fisting the back of his shirt in his hands. "I'm so sorry Zayn. I should be the one leaving. I'm so sorry."

Zayn squeezed him back, placing a kiss on Harry's neck, "Shut up you twat" he replied. Harry felt Niall join their hug, telling them how proud is he of both of them. Everyone was then ushered into the living room for a proper goodbye. 

"I'll see you in like 2 weeks Harry, stop crying. You're going to make me cry. I might be good-looking but I'm an ugly crier. You don't want to see that," Zayn joked trying to lighten the mood. 

Harry wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands, "I know, it just won't be the same here without you Z".

"I promise as soon as you're out of here, we'll go grab a pizza. Niall will buy," Zayn laughed.

Niall laughed along, "I swear I will," he said, pulling Zayn into one last hug. Before they knew it, it was time for Zayn and the other to leave.

"You better win this Curly, I'm counting on you," Zayn shouted before the doors closed. 

Harry huffed out a laugh and turned to Niall, "now what,".

"Now," Niall started, reaching for Harry's hand, "we swim. Go get changed. I'll meet you out back in 15".

xXx

Harry doesn't swim. He can swim, he just doesn't. Swimming involved being half naked. Harry doesn't do half naked with other people. He's lost weight and he feels healthier but there are still scars and flabby bits that he still isn't comfortable with. He's standing in front of the mirror behind his bathroom door. He's gotten to know that mirror quite well since he got to the house.

He's standing in swim trunks, clutching a t-shirt in his right hand. If it wasn't night time, he could probably get away with wearing a t-shirt in the pool. Harry's always been kind of pale. The sun was never really his friend. But it's not day time. It's night. Close to 10pm night. He can't jump into the pool wearing the t-shirt.

He throws the t-shirt on and makes his way downstairs towards the pool. Niall's already sitting at the edge with his feet dunked in. Niall's only in a pair of swim trunks, t-shirt discarded on a chair. Harry slides the screen door open and walks towards Niall.

"You're late. I didn't think you were going to show up," Niall says, splashing his feet around in the pool. He turns his head slightly to look at Harry. He thought he'd be used to the way Niall looks at him by now but he's not because he can feel his face heating up.

"Sorry, couldn't find my shorts," Harry lied. He takes a seat next to Niall, dunking his feet in as well.

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a bit until Niall stood up. He stretched a bit before diving into the pool. If that was a cue for Harry to follow, he wasn't going to do it. He feels comfortable around Niall, as long as he's clothed. 

Niall emerged from the water, slicking his wet hair back and wiping his eyes. "Come in Harry, the water is great," he called to Harry.

"I'm okay. Really. I've never been much of a swimmer anyway," Harry tried to convince Niall. 

"Meet me al the shallow end," Niall replied, already swimming towards the shallow end.

Harry likes these kinds of pools. The shallow end had stairs leading down to the water, no ladder. He picked himself up and walked toward the shallow end where Niall was already waiting, the water just at his hips.

"Come here," Niall said. He was about 4 feet away from Harry.

Sighing, Harry walked down the stairs and into the water, t-shirt still on. By the time he reached Niall, the end of his t-shirt was wet. He probably looked silly. He'd look silly either way in this situation. 

Without warning, Niall slowly reached down and grabbed the end up Harry's t-shirt, slowly bringing it up. Harry turned his head away, not wanting to see Niall's reaction to his body. Harry raised his arms when Niall got there and he carefully pulled the top over Harry's head. He chucked the t-shirt over to the side of the pool.

Harry's come to know that Niall doesn't really have boundaries, but Harry does so when Niall places his hands on Harry's chest, he tenses.

"Please don't," Harry whimpers, a few tears falling down his cheeks.

Niall doesn't listen, he runs his hands down Harry chest, past his now smaller, man boobs. He runs his hands down to Harry's stomach, over the scars there. He slides his hands down to Harry's hips, tracing the stretch marks on his sides. Niall then slides his hands back up, all the way to Harry's face to cup his cheeks. 

"Don't get mad at me, yeah," Niall says and before Harry can ask what he's talking about, Niall kissed him. 

Harry's been kissed before, loads of times. He just hasn't had a kiss in a while. Niall kisses him slowly, nothing with tongue or groping hands and Harry lets him. 

Niall pulls back, but then quickly places another peck on Harry's lips. He rests his forehead on Harry's and they stay like that for a while. Harry tests out what just happened by wrapping his arms around Niall's waist. Niall moves his head from Harry's forehead and looks at him.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time," Niall whispered, bringing his hand up to wipe away the last tears on Harry's cheek, then placing another kiss on his lips.

Harry kissed back. He's liked Niall since the day he's met him. He's been wanting to kiss Niall for a long time too, but he never had the courage to start it.

Niall, lips still attached to Harry's, tugged them deeper into the water, but not to deep so they couldn't reach. He backed Harry up against the side of the pool and wrapped his legs around Harry's waist. 

"God, Harry. I've wanted this for so long. I've wanted you for so long," Niall says against his mouth.

Harry's still a little shaken up. This is all he's ever wanted to hear, especially from Niall. 

"I didn't think someone like you could ever want someone like me," Harry confessed. 

"Your audition tape," is all Niall said.

Harry initiated the kiss this time. He stepped forward a bit and changed positions so he had Niall up against the side of the pool, one hand on Niall cheek, the other gripping Niall's leg around his waist. Niall opened his mouth a bit and Harry deepened the kiss. He could feel Niall smiling into it. 

He pulled away, "What about my audition tape," he questioned.

Niall just smiled, "I knew there was something special about you," he giggled as he hooked his arms around Harry's neck, "I just knew it".

They stayed in the water until their fingers grew wrinkled. 

"Let's go to your room," Niall suggested as they swam toward the shallow end of the pool and walked up the stairs. He found towels and held one open for Harry to step into, giving him a quick kiss as he wrapped him up. 

They quietly walked up the stairs and into Harry's bedroom. He was suddenly nervous. Everything was happening too fast. He hasn't been in a proper relationship since high school, if you could even call those proper relationships.

"I'm gonna go rinse off," Niall said, pointing toward the bathroom door. "Want to join me," he questioned before going into the room. "We can stay in our swim trunks, I promise," Harry gave him a quick nod.

The two boys walked into the bathroom, dropping their wet towels on the floor. Niall stepped into the tub first, holding his hand out for Harry to join him. They helped each other rinse off their chlorine stained bodies. Niall, peppering kisses onto Harry's chest and whatever skin he could reach. 

When they were done, they walked back to Harry's room. Harry pulling out clean boxers for himself and some shorts with a drawstring that Niall could tighten. They got into bed and this time Niall stayed, curled into Harry's side whispering how wonderful he is until they both fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry opened the car door and walked towards the house. It's been a year since he's been here. A year since the finale of his season on Britain's Biggest Loser was played on tv. A year since he was announced winner. He's been on a sort of high ever since that day.

He walks up the steps and doesn't bother knocking on the door. He walks into the house, going toward the weigh-in room, a room that he has grown to miss. He can hear Daisy talking to the bunch of 2014 hopefuls. He gently opens the door and takes a seat in the back without getting noticed by the contestants. He shoots Daisy a wink though.

"I hope you're all ready for this. It's a lot of hard work but it pays off in the end. How many of you watched last season? Anyone remember Harry Styles" Daisy questioned the group. Everyone's hand shot up.

Harry smiled and shook his head. Ever since the show ended he's had people come up to him on the street telling him how inspiring they found him. He thought it was all very sweet, but silly. Anyone can hop on a treadmill and lose weight. He just did it on tv.

Harry took this as his cue to stand up and walk toward the stage. "Hello everyone," he sheepishly greeted. The contestants all stood and up and cheered for him. "Oh, please, none of that", he blushed, and that gained a few "awww" from the female contestants.

"Welcome back, Harry. How's life treating you," Daisy asked as she pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms all the way around him.

Harry pulled back and fixed his curls. "It's been great. I still can't believe I won, actually. It feels like yesterday that you were reading my results," Harry laughed.

"We're so happy that you managed to stop by. We know that you're really busy. How's Niall," Daisy smirked, giving Harry a knowing look.

Blushing, Harry ducked down and fixed his curls again. "He's good, we're good," he answered, not wanting to get into detail of his private life. "Thank you for letting me stop by. This show has changed my life and it will change yours. Just work hard and don't forget to have fun and open yourself up to people. You never know who you're going to meet," he finished, secretly fiddling with the promise ring on his finger. They hit their one year mark together and Niall surprised him with it as a gift.

"Bring him by next time you stop by, we'd all love to see him again. I'm sure the contestants would love to meet him. It's a total bummer that he didn't come back for this season. But I'm very happy for the 2 of you," Daisy finished, pulling Harry in for another hug, whispering, "really, really happy for the 2 of you." She placed a kiss on his cheek and he made his way off the stage and towards the contestants, stopping to shake everyones hand or let himself be pulled into hugs.

Harry waves a last goodbye and heads for the door. Before leaving the house, Harry made his way upstairs to the room he had last year. He opened the door and took everything in, recalling the night Zayn got eliminated and Niall took Harry for a swim to cheer him up.

__________

"Please don't," Harry whimpers, a few tears falling down his cheeks.

  
Niall doesn't listen, he runs his hands down Harry chest, past his now smaller, man boobs. He runs his hands down to Harry's stomach, over the scars there. He slides his hands down to Harry's hips, tracing the stretch marks on his sides. Niall then slides his hands back up, all the way to Harry's face to cup his cheeks.

  
"Don't get mad at me, yeah," Niall says and before Harry can ask what he's talking about, Niall kissed him.  
_________

  
Harry remembers that night perfectly. He remembers their time after the pool, their time on this bed. They spent the entire night cuddling and exchanging kisses under the covers. He remembers when Niall whispered, "be with me, properly, after the show. Just stay with me, Harry." When they woke up the next morning, Niall placed a kiss on Harry's head ushered him to get ready for the day. Harry won the show a week after that and then they announced their relationship.

  
He smiled to himself just thinking about that night. He walked into the bathroom next. The mirror behind the door showed a different reflection this time. Before he knew what he was doing, he stripped out of his clothes, just down to his boxers and starred at the reflection. His stomach is now defined, not all flat but he can see his toes. His former breasts are now defined pecs. His arms and legs are now toned. He still has a reminder of what was. The pale stretch marks are still there but he just smiles at them now while he runs his fingers over them.

  
He's happy with what he sees. He doesn't have the abs like Liam but his mum can finally wrap her arms around him again and that's good enough for him. He takes one last look before putting on his clothes and makes his way down the stairs.

  
He gave the house one last glance as he pulled out of the driveway and made his way towards home. He smiles to himself just thinking about calling their place a home. He puts in the mixed cd Zayn made him and starts his journey home.

  
xXx

"Babe," Harry calls out as he enters their home. They had just moved in together after their 1 year mark. They decided to stay close to Harry's town because as much as it kills him to admit, he still needs his mom and he doesn't think he could ever move far away from Liam. Not that Niall minded where they lived, as long as they were together. Harry was really grateful for that.

"Shit, you're early, don't come in the kitchen yet," Niall called out. Harry can hear the clanking of pots and pans and the sink running but he listens to Niall and stays out.

Laughing, Harry takes off his shoes and puts his coat away in the closet. When he turns around, he is greeted to an armful of Niall. He hugs him back, tilting his head down to kiss his boyfriend.

"Missed you," Niall sighs into Harry's mouth.

Harry pulls back smiling. "I missed you too, so did Daisy and the other contestants. They kept on peering over my shoulder to see if you'd come in as a surprise. They all love you. It was a bit therapeutic, getting to stand in my old room. I wish you could have come with me today".

"Should have just told them the truth. That I got fired for hooking up with the hot contestant and am technically not allowed back," Niall winked. Not that it was a problem with anyone that he and Niall started seeing each other but Niall signed a contract that he didn't really read and hooking up with contestants was definitely a rule he broke.

"Stupid hidden cameras," Harry smiled as he leaned down for another kiss.

Niall groaned as Harry pushed him back against the door. Niall's mouth opened and Harry took that as permission to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue into Niall's mouth. Niall raked his fingers through Harry's hair, tugging him closer. Sighing, Niall pulled away from the kiss and hid his face in the crook of Harry's neck, peppering it with kisses.

"I love you," Niall said, still hidden in Harry's neck, placing more kisses to it.

Harry froze. They've been together for a year but they haven't exchanged those words yet. They decided to take things slow. They both had a lot of press to deal with after the show and Niall flew home to Ireland for a few months and Harry wanted more time with his mom. They've only just found the time to properly be together by moving into an apartment.

"I'm sorry if this freaks you out but I do, very much. You don't have to say it back if you're not there yet but I am and I couldn't wait any longer. I made dinner. Uh, there's wine and candles and stupid rose petals. Wow. I, uh, I guess I kind of overdid this," Niall began to ramble and detach himself from Harry's embrace.

"I've been in love with you for a long time, Ni," Harry replied, holding onto Niall's arms and looking into Niall's eyes. Harry thought he would be the one to say it to Niall first.

Niall smiled, "Yeah?".

"Remember the day you overheard me talking about my past to Zayn? That night when you told me about your life, I knew I was falling for you. I never thought someone like you could ever want someone like me then you kissed me in the pool. No one's ever wanted to do that before. I've known for a while now, you just beat me to it. I'm so in love with you Niall," Harry finished.

"Ok, good, so tonight went well. I'm glad we talked this over," Niall giggled, taking Harry's hand and dragging him into their little dining room.

The floor was covered in rose petals and the candle wax was starting to drip over the sides onto the tabletop but it was perfect.

"I love you," Harry whispered as he gave Niall another kiss.

Niall murmured a quick, "I love you, too" before walking Harry to a chair, pushing it in.

The dinner was slightly burnt but Harry ate every bite.

xXx

"He told me he loved me tonight," Harry said in a hushed tone into his phone. After dinner, the two cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie, Niall falling asleep 10 minutes in.

"Well it's about fucking time, mate," Liam laughed.

"He's the one Li, I just know it. I can't see myself with anyone else," Harry replied, ignoring Liam's laugh.

"I knew that show would change your life Harry, so you're welcome. Thanks to me you've got your soulmate and I'm stuck with Zayn. How lovely," Liam tried sounding sarcastic, but Harry knows him better than that.

Harry laughed as he heard a familiar voice whine out a "hey man, I heard that," in the background.

"Have you told him you love him yet," Harry questioned, voice kept in a whisper. Harry knew Liam and Zayn would hit it off as soon as they met. They're both into the same dorky things and like the same music. It didn't surprise him when he found out they were kind of, sort of seeing each other.

"Can we not talk about that right now," Liam hushed out.

"Whatever Li, you looooove him," Harry cooed. He laughed when he heard the beeps on the other end, indicating Liam hung up on him. He sent him a quick sorry text and turned his phone off. He tapped Niall awake and they made their way toward the bedroom.

Both stripping off into just their boxers, they crawled under the covers and cuddled until they found a comfortable position that suited the both of them.

Harry felt Niall's fingers on his head, playing with his curls.

"These damn curls are what first drew me to you," Niall started, as he raked his fingers through them a few more times before he made his way down to Harry's cheek, poking his dimple. "Then these dimples," he leaned over and kissed one. Harry turned his head slightly so he could catch Niall's mouth on his own.

Pulling away from the kiss, Harry starred into Niall's eyes, "You make me really happy," he whispered.

Niall smiled, "You deserve to be happy. Always".

"So I guess that means you're sticking around for a while, huh," Harry jokingly questioned. He knew the answer.

"You're stuck with me, Haz" Niall replied.

"Good"

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it, wow, i can't believe i finally finished it haha  
> thank you to everyone who took the time to read it, comment, leave kudos. i appreciate it.  
> thank you for being patient with the end.   
> AH!

**Author's Note:**

> i've been playing around with this idea for a while. im thinking 2 more parts because i couldn't write a multi-chapter to save my life. tell me what you think? (:


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